Sherwood says he gets the voters’ message

Rep. Don Sherwood (Pa.) won just 56 percent of the vote Tuesday against an unknown challenger in the Pennsylvania Republican primary.

Sherwood spent $300,000 on seven direct mailings and automated phone calls from President Bush and Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.).

Sherwood had been hounded by troubles since admitting to an extramarital affair last year and reaching an out-of-court settlement after his mistress sued him.

“Certainly it had an effect,” Sherwood told reporters Tuesday. “People weren’t happy about that. I’m not happy about that. … The voters sent a message that they want more, and I got that message.”

Sherwood will face Democrat Chris Carney, a political scientist at Penn State and a Navy Reserve officer.